14 March 2018

Comprehensive guide to Windows Update




  • About
    • Windows Updates come out every second Tuesday of every month (Patch Tuesday or Update Tuesday). 6PM UK time is 9am for Microsoft in the USA though, so the UK won’t get the updates until Tuesday evening – so depending on your work shift, you may get the updates through on the 2nd Wednesday of every month.
  • Advice beforehand
    • Set System Restore to enabled and create a point before installing them
    • Check Twitter for issues here and here
    • Check for issues on the MSRC blog here
    • Check for issues on the Release Notes
    • Check the Windows forum
  • General advice
    • Build update issues and solutions blog here
    • 'Which?' introduction to security and updates here
    • Life cycle fact sheet here
    • Update history for Windows 10 here
    • Cyber Aware here
  • After the upgrade
    • Free up space by using cleanmgr to delete the old Windows installation
    • As recommended by Microsoft, run chkdsk, sfc, and dism to repair Windows
      • chkdsk c: /scan /perf
      • sfc /scannow
      • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
    • Free up more space
      • dism /online /cleanup-image /startcomponentcleanup /resetbase
  • Settings
    • Windows 10
      • Settings - Update & security - Restart options - Show more notifications - recommend enable
      • Change active hours - recommend setting to best times for you here
      • Choose how updates are delivered - recommend disabling
      • Give me updates for other Microsoft products when I update Windows. - recommend enabling
      • Metered connection - for mobile networks or preventing automatic downloads here and here
      • Defer upgrades here
    • Windows 7
      • Prevent updates being installed on shutdown: how-to
      • Prevent updates being downloaded by changing settings (Do not check for updates)
    • Disable Microsoft Store updates here
    • Aggressive option
      • Disable Windows Update in services.msc
      • Reset script here
  • Troubleshooting
    • Windows 7/8
      • Stuck on 'Checking for updates' here
      • Cannot check for updates Fixit, blog
      • Windows Update Troubleshooter Fixit
      • Cannot get other products from Microsoft here to add IE11 to compatibility mode and trusted sites
    • Windows 10
      • Built-in troubleshooter in Settings
    • Various error codes Fixit and here
    • Couldn't complete the updates - reset Windows components here
    • Roll back drivers here
    • Microsoft Store issues here
    • Cannot connect to internet blog
      • Start, type “cmd” and right-click the Command Prompt result, then click Run as administrator
      • Enter the commands:
      • ipconfig /release
      • ipconfig /flushdns
      • ipconfig /renew
    • Manual reset of Windows Update
      • Start - Run - services.msc
      • Stop the services ‘Background Intelligent Transfer Service’, ‘Windows Update’ and 'Update Orchestrator Service'. If you can't stop them, set them to Disabled, and reboot, so they don't start on boot
      • Go to C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution, and delete everything in the folder (but not the folder itself) (make sure you have 'Show hidden items' and 'Show operating system files' enabled so you can see and delete all files)
      • Restart the PC and run 'Check for updates' again
    • Bootloader problems here
    • Total identified Windows installations: 0 here
    • Use a proxy server
      • netsh winhttp set proxy http://proxy.myproxy.com:80 
        (to turn it off afterwards, run: netsh winhttp reset proxy)
      • There is also a WinINET proxy for Internet Explorer - see more details here
        HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\
        REG_SZ ProxyServer = “proxy.myproxy.com:80”
        REG_SZ ProxyOverride = “localhost”
        REG_DWORD ProxyEnable = 1